In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the children of the forest at the cave are in service to the Three-eyed raven. They are described as having nut-brown skin that is dappled like a deer's with paler spots, large ears, large liquid gold and green eyes which are slitted like a cat's eyes. Their hair is a tangle of brown, red and gold, autumn colors, with vines and twigs and withered flowers woven through it. They wear a cloak of leaves. Bran thinks that from far away one of the children in particular, Leaf, looks no older than himself or one of his sisters, but close at hand she seems far older, and has a woman’s voice, high and sweet, with a strange music in it like none Bran has ever heard, and a deep sadness.

There are at least five other Children of the Forest in the cave besides Leaf. Their real names in the True Tongue of the Children are very long and possibly unpronounceable by humans. Therefore Bran made up nicknames to refer to each of them by, including Ash, Black Knife, Coals, Scales, and Snowylocks.